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Updated: Mar 30, 2026
09:20
Whole-mount Retinal Organoid Visualization with Cellular Resolution
Published on: June 20, 2025
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Three-dimensional organization of nascent rod outer segment disk membranes
Stefanie Volland1, Louise C Hughes2, Christina Kong1
1Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;
Summary
New 3D imaging reveals how new disks form in rod photoreceptor cells. This process begins with an invagination of the ciliary membrane, leading to disk morphogenesis and renewal essential for vision.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Vision Science
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Vertebrate photoreceptor cells possess a cilium containing phototransductive disks.
- Disk membrane renewal is crucial for photoreceptor function, but the formation process is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the process of nascent disk formation and morphogenesis in rod photoreceptors.
- To provide high-resolution 3D visualization of early disk development.
Main Methods:
- Electron microscope tomography was employed.
- 3D visualization of nascent rod photoreceptor disks was performed in three mammalian species.
Main Results:
- Nascent disks are continuous with the ciliary plasma membrane.
- Disk formation initiates with ciliary plasma membrane invagination, followed by lamellar evagination and rim formation.
- Lamellae grow outward from the cilium to form mature disks.
Conclusions:
- The study provides unprecedented 3D insights into rod photoreceptor disk morphogenesis.
- Findings offer a basis for understanding protein sorting and photoreceptor electrophysiology.
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